Rebecca Matter

Research and evaluation consultant

SEATTLE, United States

I have 20 years of research, evaluation, and project management experience working on public health and human rights projects, with a focus on the Southern Africa region.

Content expertise includes disablity rights, access to assistive technologies, health systems strengthening, supply chain analysis and health promotion.

Contact Rebecca Matter
Area of Expertise:
  • Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting, Procurement
  • Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
  • Fundraising, Business Development, Grants Writer
  • Health, Doctors, Nurses, HIV/AIDS
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research, Analysis
Professional Experience:

My professional and academic career have focused on addressing disability rights and improving health and quality of life for vulnerable populations. I have worked on projects that address the needs and rights of people with a range of disabilities/health conditions (e.g., injuries, aging with disabilities) and who are experiencing challenging life circumstances (e.g., homelessness, incarceration, rural poverty).

I organized my professional experience/expertise into three categories; 1) monitoring and evaluation, 2) research, and 3) project design/management.

Monitoring and evaluation: I have been responsible for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) within most professional positions over the past 20 years. In this role, I have applied a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches to inform continuous quality improvement and ensure accountability. During my 14-year career at the University of Washington I served as the evaluator on four federally funded multi-year projects and an initiative based in Southern Africa where I developed and implemented evaluation frameworks, data collection and management tools, and analysis and reporting activities. I have also synthesized and presented findings to funders and a diverse range of stakeholders.

Research:My research experience spans academic and applied work. Specific research accomplishments include:
-Literature, scoping and systematics reviews
-Design of research protocols including ethics approvals
-Descriptive and inferential statistics (SPSS)
-In-depth interviews and focus groups
-Qualitative design and analysis (NVivo) including conceptual mapping
-Data visualizations (Tableau)
-Authoring peer-reviewed publications

Project design/management: I served as project manager on several grants where I developed strategic milestones, monitored implementation activities, and managed budgets/partner contracts. I have also designed projects and successful funding proposals such a Google funded initiative that served to map the availability of assistive technology suppliers in ten countries in Southern Africa.

Education:

Ph.D. Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, SA (2014-20)
Thesis title: What works to increase access to assistive technology in Southern Africa.

M.A. Public Policy, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, US (1996-99)

B.A. Economics & Philosophy, University of Redlands, California, US (1992-96)

Available for:

  • Consulting assignments
  • Being headhunted – make me an offer

Years of Experience:

15-20 years

Highest Qualification:

Doctorate

Languages:

English, Portuguese

Nationality:

United States

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